Sew Indie Interview: Iconic Patterns

Today we're getting to know Lena Merrin, owner and creator, of Iconic Patterns. Another Australian based  indie sewing pattern company. There's more out there then you first think! Lena has released 5 patterns to date, including a FREE cami pattern. Iconic Patterns are incredibly diverse, from sleek work wear (Knot dress and Wiggle skirt) to outer wear and even jeans! There's something for everyone and Lena has kindly offered a discount to readers (see end of post)

Lena, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and the role of sewing and pattern design in your life?

 

My love of sewing and design became apparent very early. As a little girl I had lots of dolls, but I only played with them by swapping their clothes and sewing little dresses.

We were taught sewing at school - and when I say sewing, I mean taking measurements, calculating and drafting a pattern, learning all about a sewing machine and it’s mechanics, etc. These classes were a revelation for me, a whole new world and a beginning of a life long obsession with sewing.

I can’t think  of myself separately from design and sewing. There isn't a day in my life when I am not working on or planning my next project. 

Jess Jeans

When/how did you decide to take the plunge in beginning an indie pattern company?

Before I decided to organise everything properly, I’d often get asked which patterns I used to make my clothes, and my answer was always the same - I draft my own.

So the decision to start a pattern company was organic. You see, pattern company or not, I will never stop designing and drafting new patterns, so why not share them with others? (Yes please!)

 

Thus far you've released one free pattern and four for sale. What's the secret behind your success?

Someone once asked me “would you still be sewing, even if you were not paid for it?” I said “of course!”. Sewing is what I love doing, and when you love your job, you don't count the hours till the end of your work day, quite the opposite - there are not enough hours to get everything done. I have a strong work ethic, I am a super quick learner, I know how to get what I want, and I have very understanding husband who puts up with my obsession.

Wiggle Skirt

 

Could you tell us a little about your design process? How does an idea grow to be a physical pattern?

It all starts with small things - an interesting detail, a colour palette, a photo. Then I start collecting these bits of inspiration and organising them, creating a collection. One day I just know what it is going to be - the idea comes and I start sketching until I find a perfect combination, capturing the idea. After this I draft a pattern and sew it several times, working out the small details, order of construction and difficult points. Then I try a garment on a model and work out possible fit problems. I also sew a sample for myself and wear it - some issues become apparent only after I’ve worn a garment several times. After this a pattern goes to a professional pattern grader, who checks every single notch and seam and makes sure it is flawless.  And after this I finish the pattern myself: I draw illustrations, write instructions, etc, etc, etc.

 What is the inspiration behind your patterns? 

My current collection is inspired by vintage fashion. In saying that, I didn’t want it to be very literally vintage: many elements are borrowed from a bygone era, such as silhouette of my wiggle skirt, an a-line cut of Jackie coat, a bow tie on my blouse and an elegant neckline drape of the dress. At the same time I wanted to keep it fresh, so I added very modern skinny jeans and a camisole. An unexpected combination of seemingly contradictory clothes have always attracted me, this is how unique personal style is created.


Jackie Coat

 What have you learnt throughout your career and what advice would you give home sewers and wannabe pattern designers?

What I’ve learned is that you shouldn’t be afraid of failure. A failure is something to embrace. We all make mistakes and get into difficult situations. The only difference between a novice sewist and an experienced one is that the seasoned sewist can see some possible problems far in advance and has more tricks up their sleeve to save the situation. Often you have to fail to learn.

 

Any hints about what's next to come from Iconic Patterns?

I have just released a much anticipated dress pattern and out next is a bow tie chiffon blouse (I think I heard some readers shriek at the word “chiffon” haha). Don’t worry, I put so much information in my sewing instructions, that you’ll be able to sew anything and get a very presentable result, even with chiffon.

Knot Dress
 

Thank you so much, Lena. What a wonderful opportunity to gain such a fundamental understanding of sewing and pattern design in your schooling. I, like most of us, simply received the "how to sew a calico drawstring bag" and pyjama pant lessons. I'm incredibly jealous, but glad these lessons set you up (along with a lot of hard work afterwards) to be able to provide such interesting and diverse patterns. I'm very excited about the new Knot dress (line drawing above), the bodice gorgeous! 

There is currently an Iconic Patterns Jackie Coat Sewalong being run by Janelle of and Maria. Their posts have been incredibly detailed thus far and have included some great coat variations as well. I plan to sew along (I'm just a little behind) and there is still time to join in!

 

Lena has generously offered a 15% discount code ("sewnbyelizabeth15") on Iconic Pattern products excluding the newly released Knot Dress and the Jackie Coat. Discount is valid until 16 of August 2014 and can also be used to purchase Lena's e-books and files. 

Sew Indie Interview: Teach Me Fashion

It's about time for another Sew Indie Interview. Today we're getting to know Heather, owner and creator, of Teach Me Fashion patterns. TMF is another Melbourne based indie sewing pattern company, and a relatively new one at that. In less than a year Heather has released six for sale patterns, and one freebie. So far, TMF patterns have included wardrobe basics with simple elegant lines. TMF patterns include brief instructions, but each pattern also has an accompanying youtube video showing the garment construction from start to finish! 
 

Heather and Harrison have kindly offered readers a coupon code ("TEACHMEFASHION") for 25% off any of there patterns. 

Heather, could you tell us a little about yourself and the role of sewing and design in your life?
I studied at Emily McPherson College back in the 70's then worked at the House of Merivale and Mr John in Sydney. I then returned to Melbourne and was given the opportunity to teach at Emily Mac, as it was affectionately called. I had loved my time as a student so I jumped at the chance. I was working with wonderful teachers who had a lifetime of experience and loved every minute of it. After a few years I travelled overseas to visit schools and colleges similar to our college. After returning to Melbourne I decided I needed more industry experience so accepted a position at Sportsgirl in their production & design team. I then returned to teaching fashion design at RMIT, where I have been for over the past 34 years! I love teaching students who share my passion for sewing & fashion design, the classroom is a great environment where I have taught some extremely creative and talented students, I feel very lucky to have had a job I am so passionate about. It was only once I retired, and realized I wanted to keep teaching people that the idea of Teach Me Fashion was created. I had wanted to do something for a long time, but hadn't found the time between work and children! The truth be known it was my son, Harrison, who planted the seed!

 

The Wrap Dress

When/how did you decide to take the plunge in beginning an indie pattern company?

I had wanted to teach a wider audience sewing and fashion design for a long time but it was always just an idea. I was originally thinking of creating a VCR to teach people, which shows my age! I recently retired which is when my son showed me all the people learning sewing on YouTube. I thought YouTube would be the perfect platform to share what I had learned over my years of teaching and teach anyone who was interested about the world of sewing and fashion design. We have created our first videos with patterns as I think that's the best way for people to get started, creating garments that they can wear and get excited about making.
 

Draped Skirt

 

Your very first pattern, the free Two Tone Singlet, was released late last  year. You have since released 6 more patterns! What's the secret behind your success?A great Mother & Son team. The obvious age difference means that Harrison knows a lot more about the internet, YouTube etc. I am learning fast but without each other's capabilities it wouldn't work. I focus on all things relating to sewing & fashion design and Harrison  handles all the website / YouTube and online parts of the business. We both have very different backgrounds and bring different skills to the business which helps us find answers and solutions to the problems we have encountered. However, we now spend a lot of time around the dinner table discussing Teach Me Fashion and learning a lot from each other. I can honestly say Harrison has developed a great appetite for fashion along the way. 

Draped Coat

 

Could you tell me a little about your design process? How does an idea grow to be a physical pattern?

We focus on finding out what the ideal garment is and aim for a garment that will suit a variety of body shapes, be possible to sew for almost any skill level, be 'fashion forward' and incorporate some good essential sewing techniques. I draft up the pattern and make it out of a basic fabric to see if Harrison & I like the look of it. Once we are happy with the garment I digitize it using a Gerber machine, then Harrison separates it into individual pattern pieces onto his computer. We have a fantastic team at Bison Creative who have done all our graphics and the layout of the introduction pages of the patterns (which is why they look so fantastic!). Bison Creative also  film & help us create the sewing videos on YouTube, they have been absolutely fantastic and we couldn't recommend them highly enough! TADA, our patterns are ready for the world. It is a lot of work with help from lots of talented people. We couldn't do it without them!

 

 

Draped Skirt

 

What is the inspiration behind your patterns? I have taught over 1000 students whilst being a fashion lecturer, so a lot of my inspiration comes from designs and garments that students have made over the years. It's something I think about and deal with every day, so when the opportunity came to make instructional videos and patterns I had a fairly clear image of what I thought would be great to start out with. I have found the videoing a new experience. Not quite as easy as a responsive classroom environment but hopefully I will improve over time! Since discovering Pinterest I also get a lot of inspiration from there.

 

Two Tone Singlet

What have you learnt throughout your career in fashion and pattern design and what advice would you give home sewers and wannabe pattern designers? Practice makes perfect! Stay inspired and make sure you try patterns and techniques that might be beyond your current skill level, that's the best way to grow your sewing skills. I'm biased but if you're really serious about progressing your sewing, studying Fashion Design at university gives you a great variety of skills and a platform to work in the industry. 

 

Elastic Waist Pants

Any hints about what's next to come from Teach Me Fashion? We are aiming to release 30 (!!) patterns by the end of the year. If the videos & pattern business is successful enough I am looking to create a pattern drafting course after, this is my real specialty within the world of fashion design & something I am very passionate about doing. If I can pass on this knowledge then people who can't access a university degree can gain a wealth of knowledge to enable them to develop their own designs. We will have to wait and see!

Thank you so much to Heather and Harrison for sharing their story with us. What an incredibly interesting life Heather has had, and continues to have, within the fashion and pattern design industry! I am so looking forward to making up my next TMF pattern, and can't wait to see what patterns Heather and Harrison release next. I purchased some beautiful grey wool blend yesterday. I see a Draped Coat in my horizons!

Giveaway Winner: Bludginger Doll PDF Pattern Winner

The winner of the Bluegingerdoll Pattern PDF provided by Indie Stitches is the Lovely Ruth Procter of Nightingale & Dolittle. Congrats Ruth!

Ruth, like many others, asked for the Winifred dress. It's now coming right your way miss! I'll be in contact to organise.

More interviews with fab locale and/or small Indie Pattern design companies coming to the blog soon :)

Sew Indie Interview: Bluegingerdoll Patterns

Over the past year of sewing with Indie Patterns I've been blown away, not only by the patterns but also, by the designers incredible generosity and approachability. I've been keen to learn more about these companies and the designers who created them. I assume others are interested too so I thought I'd invite a few of these wonderful and creative people to tell us a bit about themselves. I'm particularly interested to hear more from pattern designers whose companies are new initiatives or are locals (Australian). I'll post the interviews as they come along and hope to include the occasional giveaway where possible. *See end of post for a fabulous giveaway on behalf of Indie Stitches*

First up is the wonderful Abby, owner and creator of Bluegingerdoll Patterns who is based in my home town Melbourne, Australia. The first Bluegingerdoll pattern was released a little over a year ago, and already 6 further patterns have been released. Abby creates vintage inspired patterns which flatter the curvy figure. Her patterns have been well received throughout the sewing community. 

Abby, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and the role of sewing in your life?

Sewing is an all consuming force in my life at the moment, although its more in respect to creating sewing patterns for others to sew. I haven't actually sewn much for myself for quite sometime.

When/how did you decide to take the plunge in beginning an indie sewing pattern company?

Early 2012 i decided to take the plunge into making Bluegingerdoll a reality. I have previously studied Fashion design & Technology and I had been creating patterns for myself and others before I started down this road. The transition into creating patterns for Bluegingerdoll was easier in my mind than it turned out to be. There was a lot of trial and error beforehand with designs as well as working out how to run Bluegingerdoll smoothly on the side whilst still working a 9-5 day job.  

Your very first pattern, the gorgeous Billie Jean Dress, recently turned 1. You have since released 6 (!) more patterns. This is incredibly prolific. Whats the secret to your success?

This may sound cliche but there aren't any secrets (sorry) just a lot of hard work. I am learning a lot as I go, and Bluegingerdoll continues to evolve with each new pattern release. I guess, maybe i'm getting better at handling it all. I absolutely love what I do and the hard work that comes along with Bluegingerdoll  is something I get a real kick out of too. I also have a very supportive partner who helps me out big time, especially with the business side of things.

Could you tell me a little about your design process? How does an idea grow to be a physical pattern? (Are you a computer based designer or a pen and paper kinda gal? Flat pattern or draper?)

I'm a mixture of all of the above but to be honest more old school. I prefer to be more hands on when designing. It also depends on the design itself finding the right method to work with to get the idea out of my head and into a working form, so sometimes I do move into different methods of pattern making.

Source: http://bluegingerdoll.com/

What is the inspiration behind your patterns? How were Ava and Betsy dreamed up?

I've always been a fan of a fitting and flattering pencil skirt. I have a little too many in my wardrobe. I love that there a simple staple but so 'Va va voom' in a subtle way. Betsy in particular I wanted to design, so it could be a pencil skirt that could be worn in varying styles as well as be flattering on a curvy figure. In my mind, I  wanted to create an outfit such as Betsy & Ava  that would try to capture the femininity and glamour that was so prevalent in the 50s era, and also pieces that aren't just for special occasion wear, for everyday. 

What have you learnt over your 1+ in business with Bluegingerdoll Patterns and what advice would you give home sewers and wannabe pattern designers?

I've  learnt so, so much since starting Bluegingerdoll and not only about running a small business, but myself as well. Patience (still working on that one), your only one person, you do need to sleep and take care of yourself properly. Copious amounts of coffee and junk food do not make for a 100% functioning person. As well as accepting that the hard work is just part of it all. My advice for others is to learn as much as you can, hone those sewing/pattern drafting skills or whatever the skill may be before moving onto the next. Read, read and read and then read some more, sewing books, blogs absorb yourself in it all. Just never stop learning. Also, get involved in the awesome sewing community, they're a great supportive bunch. 

Any hints about what's to come from Bluegingerdoll Patterns?

At the moment I have a few new designs in the works and am working towards broadening the horizons of Bluegingerdoll in the coming months.

Thanks so much to Abby for sharing her story with us. I cannot wait to see what "broadening the horizons of Bluegingerdoll " entails - what a teaser!

Giveaway... (Closed)

To celebrate the release of Bluegingerdoll's new Patterns and also the first of hopefully many interviews with Indie Sewing Pattern designers, I'm holding a giveaway for any one Bluegingerdoll PDF pattern available on the Indie Stitches Website. This giveaway is open internationally and a winner will be randomly drawn on Monday the 9th of June. To enter: Visit Indie Stiches, choose which Bluegingerdoll PDF pattern you'd like to win, and leave me a comment letting me know. If you like, also tell me what question you'd ask your favourite Indie Pattern Designer. Please also provide a contact email. Goodluck!